Softball

Ebert named National Player of the Year as Grizzlies place two on First Team All-America squad
Ebert, Davis are first two ASC Softball All-Americans at Division II level

by Chris Day, Adams State Sports Information Director

ROLLA, Mo. - Adams State College senior shortstop Heather Ebert (Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada) and junior Courtney Davis (Stockton, Calif.), selected at the designated player position, have both been tabbed as Daktronics, Inc. First Team All-Americans while Ebert has been named as the National Player of the Year on the second annual squad that is voted on by sports information directors from NCAA Division II institutions from around the nation.

The announcement, unquestionably the biggest in ASC Softball history, was made by National Coordinator John Kean, the sports information director at Missouri University of Science & Technology, late Friday afternoon.

Ebert and Davis, are the first ASC softball All-Americans in Division II era (1993-Present) school history.

Both players had been named as First Team All-RMAC and All-South Central Region selections in previous weeks and were named to the RMAC's All-Tournament Team.

The two led the Dervin Taylor coached Grizzlies to a school-record 38 wins this season along with a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference West Division Title and a runner-up finish in the RMAC Tournament, ASC's best conference finish since 1993.

Ebert hit .505 with Division II-high and school-record 22 home runs this season and had already received RMAC and Daktronics South Central Regional Player of the Year honors. Ebert, who ranks in second in the country with her .978 slugging percentage, is also fifth in RBI per game (1.29), seventh in batting average, and eighth in on base percentage with her .583 clip.

She also finished the year with 16 doubles, two triples, six stolen bases and drew 33 walks while striking out just 12 times.

Ebert, a graduate of Rosthern High School, started her collegiate career and was a NJCAA All-American at Colby (Kan.) Community College in 2006 before she came to ASC for the 2007 season, a year that saw her earn Second Team All-RMAC honors.

She broke Division II era single-season school records for hits (92), home runs, total bases (178), RBI while tying the doubles. Ebert also broke career marks for batting average (.460), home runs (33), slugging percentage (.850) and on base percentage (.541). She also finished second on ASC's career RBI charts with 119, quite a feat considering she was just with the Grizzlies for just two years.

She also fares well in the classroom with a 3.78 GPA and was named as the RMAC's Academic Player of the Year.

Davis also had an impressive 2008 season hitting .429 with four home runs and 52 RBI, third most in ASC Division II era single-season history. A transfer from Arizona Western College, and former St. Mary's High School graduate Davis also had a solid year pitching recording a

12-4 record and a 3.82 ERA to go along with three shutouts.

She allowed just 96 hits in 97 innings of work, spread over 22 appearances and 16 starts, while registering 81 strikeouts against 21 walks allowed. She also held batters to a .257 clip, the second best mark in the RMAC, and did not give up a single wild pitch all season.

Complete Daktronics release